Foot & Leg Centre

Common Cause of Heel Pain

There are many causes of heel pain with the most common being inflammation of the plantar fascia (plantar fasciitis) or degeneration and deterioration of the plantar fascia (plantar fasciosis). Usually the mechanical overload from poor foot function, particularly flat feet is the key cause of heel pain. Other contributing factors can include tight calf muscles, recent increase in body weight, poor/soft footwear, sudden increase in sporting activity or poor training methods/technique.

The plantar fascia is the flat fibrous band of tissue (ligament) that connects your heel bone (calcaneus) to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot. When the foot structures are not in the right place (mis-alignment), the plantar fascia can become over-stretched & strained resulting in micro-tears and injury. It is the strain, damage and injury to the tissue that you feel as pain. More...

Do You Have A Bunion?

Have you developed a lump or bump at the side of your big toe joint? Are you getting pain in your big toe joint? You may be asking yourself – Do I have a bunion?

So what is a bunion? A bunion is a common foot condition where the big toe of the foot deviates towards the centre of the foot and the smaller toes (toes 2-5).

In many cases, bunions are a progressive deformity and get worse over time. As the toe deviation progresses shoe fitting can become increasingly difficult and the big toe joint can become reddened, swollen and painful. Bunions can make you feel embarrassed about your feet or that your feet look ugly because of the changes in foot shape. More…